S08 E04 Nadia Cassim

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Nadia Cassim is a novelist and short story writer whose most recent book NOT ANOTHER SAMOOSA RUN is currently longlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize.

A brave and ground-breaking novel, her book has been described as 'funny, thought-provoking, and empowering'.

Nadia joins Fiona and Gail to talk about how she trusts her writing process and knows that her next great idea is just around the corner.

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Chapters
  • 00:00 Introduction and Writing Week Check-In
  • 03:32 What We've Been Reading: Villa Coco and All Them Dogs
  • 09:55 Introducing Nadia Cassim
  • 11:02 Nadia's Writing Routine and Weekly Word Count
  • 12:34 Short Stories vs Novels: Space, Editing, and Freedom
  • 16:48 Openness to Criticism and the Value of Strict Editing
  • 19:10 How Nadia Knows if an Idea Has Legs
  • 22:08 Origin Story: Teacher, Town Planning, and a Gap Year
  • 26:03 First Submissions, Rejection, and Writing Through Divorce
  • 29:31 Pan Macmillan, COVID, and the Road to Quaelle Books
  • 30:57 What Is a Samosa Run - and How the Title Was Born
  • 33:38 Tropes, Fake Relationships, and Writing Without a Rulebook
  • 35:30 Writing as a South African Muslim Woman
  • 36:01 Ithaca Magazine and Challenging Community Narratives
  • 39:15 Community Response to 'Not Another Samosa Run'
  • 41:07 A Movement in South African Muslim Women's Writing
  • 43:22 The Mother-Daughter Relationship at the Heart of the Book
  • 45:18 Writing Other Cultures - and Being Written About
  • 47:01 Formal Training vs Natural Voice: The Course Question
  • 50:25 Financial Advising, Reiki, and the Link to Creativity
  • 54:24 Creativity, Chakras, and Setting Intentions
  • 55:39 Character Creation: Planned or Found on the Page
  • 56:36 Plotter or Pantser - and Trusting Intuition
  • 57:20 Teasing 'Perfect Lies' - Coming 2027
  • 57:58 What Nadia Has Been Reading and Watching
  • 01:00:38 Hosts Reflect: Energy, Chakras, and Discernment in Feedback
28 Sep English South Africa Books · Arts

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